Grievances & Appeals

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Academic Grievance Procedure

The following process should be used when a student has a grievance concerning grades or other academic issues related to graduate education. Students who believe they have a grievance related to grades or other academic issues must initiate the grievance procedure before the end of the next academic session.

Informal Process

The student will first approach the individual faculty member to attempt to resolve the grievance with him or her.

If the student finds the faculty member’s decision unsatisfactory, he or she may take the complaint to the Program Director, who will speak to both parties to try to resolve the grievance. In this process, the student has the responsibility to submit a clearly written statement of the grievance to the Program Director. Upon completion of the informal process, the Program Director will communicate his or her decision to the student.

If the faculty member involved in the grievance is the Program Director, the full-time faculty in the program will select another member of the program to assume the role of the Program Director described above.

Formal Process

If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the informal process, he or she may request that the grievance be resolved by the formal grievance process, as described below. If the grievance involves a disagreement about a grade for work submitted in a graduate course or an instance of plagiarism, the student may request that the Program Director forward all relevant materials to an Academic Grievance Committee for a hearing.

A valid grievance about a grade for work submitted in a graduate course exists when:

  1. There is evidence that the faculty member has not informed the student of program or course requirements relative to the perceived grievance or;
  2. A faculty member renders a decision that is not in accord with the standard practices or principles of the Program or the University. Standard practices and principles are defined as those guidelines, both written and unwritten, which have governed grading decisions in the past and which are accepted by the Program as governing grading decisions in the present.

The Academic Grievance Committee will consist of three faculty who are knowledgeable in the area related to the dispute. Members of the Academic Grievance Committee will be appointed by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Program Director.

The Academic Grievance Committee will then:

  1. Review the pertinent documents
  2. Invite the student to present his or her position in person and respond to questions about the grievance
  3. Invite the faculty member to present his or her position in person and respond to questions about the grievance
  4. Summarize in writing the Committee’s understanding of each side of the grievance and the primary factors guiding the Committee’s thinking and allow for further input from both sides prior to any decision
  5. After consultation with the Program Director, render a decision as to how to resolve the grievance (assuming one exists). This decision will be final
  6. Report the decision to the Program Director, faculty member, student, and the Dean.

Decisions regarding suspension, probation, or dismissal of a student from a Graduate Program for lack of clinical competence or failure to act in accordance with ethical or professional standards are made by the full-time faculty in that Program. If the grievance is concerned with a decision related to suspension, probation, or dismissal, the student will submit a clearly written statement of the grievance to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

The Dean will then:

  1. Review the pertinent documents;
  2. Invite the student to present his or her position and respond to questions about the grievance;
  3. Invite the Program Director to present his or her position and respond to questions about the grievance;
  4. Summarize in writing the Dean’s understanding of each side of the grievance and the primary factors guiding the Dean’s thinking and allow for further input from both sides prior to any decision;
  5. Render a decision as to how to resolve the grievance (assuming one exists). This decision will be final.
  6. Report the decision to the Program Director and student.

General Student Grievance Policy

The following process should be used for complaints that fall outside the areas of academics, Title IX, harassment, and discrimination, as described in the Graduate Student Handbook. This grievance procedure must be preceded by a sincere attempt on the part of the complainant to resolve the issue informally with the individual(s) involved. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the informal discussion, the student may submit a signed, written complaint to the Dean of the school in which the student is enrolled.

The Grievance must include the following information:

  • Name, Address, and contact information (email, phone number, etc.) of the student making the grievance complaint;
  • Information regarding the individual(s) the grievance complaint is about, including their name and title;
  • A detailed statement outlining all facts relating to the incident(s), including: date, time, and location;
  • The names of any individual(s)who witnessed the incident or who may have pertinent information regarding the incident(s), if applicable;
  • Details regarding all steps taken to resolve the grievance;
  • A statement of the relief sought by the complainant; and
  • A list of all documents supporting the Grievance, which shall be attached to the Grievance.

Upon receipt of a Grievance, the dean shall review the Grievance. He/she shall request a written response from the individual involved and immediately begin a full, fair and impartial investigation into the Grievance. If needed, meetings will be scheduled individually or jointly with the student and the faculty/staff member/individual that is the subject of the complaint. Witnesses may be asked to provide a written statement or meet during the investigation. The investigation will be kept confidential to the extent possible. Upon completion of the investigation the Dean will issue a decision regarding the Grievance. Both the student and faculty/staff member/individual will be notified in writing regarding the decision.

Anti-Retaliation Statement. Retaliation of any kind against anyone filing a grievance is prohibited. Initiating a complaint will not affect a student’s grades, class selection, or any other matter pertaining to student status.

Grievance Process for Online Students

All students at the University can use the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) as an avenue for resolving complaints after exhausting the University’s own formal and informal processes described in this handbook.

For Massachusetts Residents and Online Students in Non-SARA Member States and Territories

After you’ve exhausted the complaint procedures described in this handbook and if your complaint has not been resolved, you may file a consumer complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education by using the consumer complaint form. The DHE consumer complaint form should be used by students who are located in:

  • Massachusetts
  • Non-SARA Member States or Territories (e.g., California, Guam, etc.)

For Online Students Located in SARA Member States and Territories other than Massachusetts

After you have exhausted the complaint procedures described in this handbook and if your complaint has not been resolved, you may file a complaint with the DHE by using the SARA complaint form. The DHE SARA complaint form should be used by students who are located in SARA member states and territories other than Massachusetts. This includes all students who are located in SARA member states and territories for the purposes of completing out-of-state learning placements, such as internships, practica, clinical experiences, etc. in SARA member states and territories outside Massachusetts.

Additional information from the DHE’s SARA complaint website is below:

The SARA complaint process is as follows:

  1. Students must first attempt to resolve their complaint using internal administrative procedures offered by the SARA institution.
  2. After all administrative remedies have been exhausted with the MA-SARA institution, the student may submit a SARA Complaint via the URL below.
  3. The Department shall send a copy of the complaint to the institution that is the subject of the complaint;
  4. Within 30 days of the date that the Department sends a copy of the complaint to the institution, the institution must provide a written response to the student and the Department.

More information about DHE’s complaint processes can be found here.